Self-propelled vehicle



C. J. ALLEN. SELF PROPELLED VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED1UNE24,1919.

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ATTORNEYS Unirse STA-Tas PATENT carica.

CHARLES J. ALLEN, F HOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY,

f INC., A CQEPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ASSIGNOR TO S. L. ALLEN sELr-rnorELLEn vEIiIcLE.

Application mea :une 2 4; ma. serial iro. access.

` To all whom z't may concern:

Vehicles, of which suitable manner,

Adesirable t0 `vehicle in-order to secure the most satisfac- Be it known that I, CHARLES J. ALLEN, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Moorestown, county of Burlington, State of Newl Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Propelled the following is al speciication, reference being had to the accomv pallcying drawings. e

y invention relates more particular] to that class of self-pro lled' vehicles in w ich power is applied irectly to the driving wheels by means of gearing, or in any other a principal object of the invention being to provide means whereby the tread or distance between wheels of the vehicle may be as desired, the invention be' especially applicable to self-propelled vehicles such as tractors utilized in farmin and for other analogous pur ,in whic it is frequently ter width of the tread of the tory results chine; Other objects ofthe invention are to profrom the operation of the mavide means' wherebyv the tread or distance otherwise altering 'are oEeratively supported, or the meansl where l of course, be understood injuring the between the wheels of a self-propelled vehicle may be increased or diminished within limits without deranging, dismounting or the axles or other portions of the vehicle on which the wheels thereof y the sowei- 1`s sugplied to the wheels, and to rovi e means a apted for this purpose w ich are extremely simple both in construction and in method of operation and which maybe readily understood and con# veniently o rated by persons who-are not experience mechanics without danger of parts'or. of erroneously ling or disassembling them during the operation of varying the width of the tread. x My inventionv furtherincludes all of the other various novel objects and features of construction and arrangement hereinafter -rmore definitely specified and described.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated one embodiment of my invention showing the same in aform adapted for employment in a farm-tractor, although'it will', that the invention may beV used with equal facilit on other forms of self-propelled vehicles, i'gure 1 is readily increased or decreased hicle (not shown,) the method of Specification of Letters Latent, Patented Allg. 1.7, 1920.

a central vertical section of one of the wheels of a tractor and its supportin members constructed in accordance with t e said form of my invention, the parts being shown in one of the positions in which they may be adjusted for operation; Fig. 2 is a similar view, partially fragmentary, showing the parts in another operatively adjusted position, vation of the embodiment of shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to that form of the invention shown in the drawings, the same may Ithe inventionf a co., I

and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side ele.-

comprise a suitable, preferably metallic, I'

wheel A, having a felly 1 and spokes'2 secured to the felly at their outer extremities, and at their inner extremities to a cylindrical hub 3, in an suitable manner, as will be well understoo b art. The huh of t e wheel surrounds and is supported on a suitable stationary stub axle 5 riidly secured at is inner end to a depen cured to the frame or other suitable portion, such as the transmissionl housing, of the vebra'cket to the vehicle, itself, formin as well as the bracket no part of this invention. It

is to be un erstood that, if desired, the

the sleeve arranged to rotate directly upon ition of. any atsoever. 'I'he sleeve is prevented from longitudinal movethe axle without' the inter anti-friction bearings w ment relative to the axle by any suitable means, as, for example, and as is shown in the drawings, by one or more washers 17 adjacent the outer end of the sleeve mainich surrounds the those familiar with the ng bracket 6. preferably provided with a flange 7 lwhereby the bracket may be seomitted and the axle 5 supported in tained in place on the axle by a castellatcd nut 19 threaded onto the outer end of the so securingthev face of the hub ception of the hub j preferably in the drawings,

'complish this result comprise a large ring a suitable bushing 40 which ymay conveniently internally threaded .the shaft being arranged to axle, which may, for this purpose, be conveniently reduced in size. The inner end of the sleeve is operative to engage bracket 6 which may preferably be provided with a circular flange sleeve, against which the sleeveabuts whenin position on the axle. The sleeve may preferably be provided with an outwardly extending, circumferential flange 23 preferably somewhat dished toward its center, the outer face of which adjacent the sleeve is prefer ably faced off to provide a surface 24 a ainst which the inner end of hub 3 is a apted to abut, and for the purpose of operatively maintaining the hub in engagement, or substantial engagement, with surface 24, suitable means are provided which comprise a hub cap 27,

and operativelyA secured upon the externally threaded outer end of sleeve 11, which is preferably made sufficiently long y and afford room for the re- 28, or the like, may be provided to prevent the hub cap from backing off after it has beenadjusted in position against hub 3.

For the purpose of supplying motive power tothe wheel to revolve the same an thereby propel the vehicle over the ground, suitable means are provided, which may comprise an internal 'gear secured in operative relation with the Wheel and'actuated by a pinion driven from the source of motive power employed in the vehicle. -In the form of the invention shown the means employed to ac` gear 35 provided with suitable teeth on its inner periphery for engagement with and actuation by a pinion 36 suitably rigidly secured, as by keys 37 to a shaftg38, and revented from longitudinal movement on the shaft by any convenient means, suchfas a nut 39 threaded on to the reduced end por- The shaft 38 is Vsupported in may in turn be conveniently supported by the bracket, 6, extend inwardly through a hollow portion of said bracket and being connected with any suitable source of power (notshown), by which the vehicle is propelled and which, as well as the means of supporting the shaft, form no art of my invention. f.

The ring gear 35 is provided with an inwardly extending fiange 42 slightly dished toward its centerV adapted to 'engage with,

and be removably supported by the flange 23 of sleeve ll in any suitable way, a convenienfI method of accomplishing this result being to provide flange 42 with an annular shoulder 43 adapted to surround the periph,- ery of flange 23 whereby the ring gear may bey conveniently centeredon the latter, in

20 adjacent the end of the `wardly from the ring gear and adapted to extend beyond the outerl cap. Asuitable set screw' whichI position it may be secured by a plurality of bolts 45 extending through both flanges and provided with nuts 47.

It will be seen that with the parts con-r structed and arranged as hereinbefore described,*the rotation of shaft 38 and'corresponding rotation of `pinion 36 will cause rotation of ring gear 35 and in turn of sleeve 11, and for positively effecting the corresponding rotation of the wheel A, means of any suitable form and construction are provided for operatively, yet removably, connecting the, ring gear and the wheel, so that the wheel will turn unitarily with the sleeve and the ring gear. ln the 80 form of the invention herein described such means kmay conveniently comprise a plurality of integral brackets 5() extending outto engage, and be removably secured to, a plu al' rality of suitable membersor driving bars# 51 preferably rigidly secured to the felly of the wheel in such manner that the longitudinal axes of the respective bars substantially form chords of the circle bounded by the inner face of the fell For conveniently removably securing rackets 50 to so that the axes of the bolt holes 54 are not equidistant from the sides of the felly l, but that the bars .are offset in such manner that the said axes' are Vconsiderably closer to one side of the felly than to the other. lo Thus, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. l in which the bars are more nearly adjacent that side of the yfelly nearest the f hub cap, or as it might be termed, the outermost side of the felly, the ring gear 35 will 110 be Jlargely positioned within the wheel it self, and the distance from the inner side of the felly to a fixed portion of the vehicle, for example, the inner 'face ofthe bracket 6,l may conveniently be `represented ,by .the symbol X.

If it be desired to increase the width of the' ltread ofthe vehicle, this result may be readily brought about by removing hub cap 27, the vehic e being conveniently supported so that the weight thereof is removed from 4 axle 5, withdrawing nuts 56 and bolts 55 aforesaid, the distance XY', that is, the distancefrom lthe inner vface of the Wheel to that part otl the vehicle to' which distance X was measured, will be increased over the distance X by an amount equal to twice the amount that the axes of the bolt holes 54 are offset from a plane uidist'ant from the sides of the felly of the W eel, and the Width ofthe tread of the vehicle therefore increased by a corresponding am0unt.-

For the purpose of inclosing the teeth on ring gear 35 and pinion 36, and protecting the same from accumulations of dust and other foreign matter, as well as retainin a lubricant within the ring gear, suita le means are provided, whic may conveniently comprise a circular plate 6() of sheet* metal slightly less in diameter than the internal diameter of the open end of the ring gear, and having a ring 61 of felt orother suitable material, secured adjacent the periphery of the plate in suchra Way that the material will normally extend for a slight distance beyond the plate. A convenient method of securing ring 6l in position is to provide a metal ring or washer 62 of slightly less external diameter than plate 60and rivet or otherwise secure it to plate 60 on the outside of ring 61, the rivets' assing through plate 60, 'ring 6l and was er 62, but, if desired, any other convenient means for holding ring 6l in position may be employed. The plate 60 may be conveniently removably supported, as by bolts 64, upon a dish-shaped fiange 65 which maybe bolted, as by bolts 67, or otherwise conveniently maintained, upon flange 2O of bracket 6, a suitable opening being igrovided in plate 6U for the passage of sha 38.

It will be understood that when the parts are assembled plate 60 is attached to its supportingmember 65 prior to the time when pinion 36 is positioned on shaft 38, and that thereafter ring ear 35, bolted to' ange 23, is slid longitudginally into place. During the latter part of this movement, the open end of the ring gear will engage the felt or other material 61 which, being ofy a somewhat greater diameter than the intei-nal diameter of the .ring gear, is turned upwardly and outwardly to assume substantially the position shown in the drawings when sleeve* 1l vis seated against flange 20Y-v thereby closing the opening between the periphery of plate 60 and the ring gear against the entrance of dust and other foreign matter, the ring gear being free 4to revolve relatively to the plate and in contact with ring 61.

It is thought that from the foregoing description, t e construction and operation of the inventionV will bel 'clearly understood, and that it will be apparent that the wheel A may be readily reversed with relation to the axle or other fixed portion of the vehi- 'extent, or that only one -crease in the cle tov widen or decrease the width of the tread of thevehicle as may be desired, without any alteration or` disturbanc of the fixed parts of the vehicle or of the ring gear, driving pinion or dust guard, by merely reymoving the hub cap, nuts 56 and bolts v55, reversing the wheel A from the position shown in Fig. l, to that shown in Iig. 2 to widen the tread of the vehicle, or vice versa to decrease the tread thereof, and replacing the hub cap, bolts and nuts. It will further be understood that while I have illustrated but a single wheel in conjunction with one form of bracket through the medium of which the wheel is supported with relation to the frame or other portion of the vehicle, in practice, the vehicle will generally be supplied with two or more wheels ar ranged on opposite sides thereof and that in such case both wheels'may, if desired, b e reversed in order to increase or decrease the width of the tread to the reatest possible W eel may be reversed, thereby eifecting an increase or dewidth ofthe tread equal to onehalf of the maximum. variation possible.

Furthermore, while I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention in c,

a form suitable for employment in a farm tractor, or other substantially similar vehic hereby intend or desire to limit myself solely to the employment of the invention in self-propelled vehicles of this nature, for the invention maybe as readily employed in other forms of selfpropelled vehicles as weil, nor do I intend or desire to limit of the invention which I have shown and described, as numerous changes and modi ications may be madetherein to adapt the invention to the varying conditions encountered in practice without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as-dened in the appended claims.

aving thus described my invention, I claim and desire to 'protect-by Letters Patent of the United States:

myself to the specific form In aselfpropelled vehicle, the, combii removably rotatably mounted on said ax1e means comprising a gear for wheel, and means d1s the spokes of sald ve driving said osed transversely to eeve, means for rotating icle connecting saidv 4 1,349,997 driving means and'said wheel whereby said 'radius thereof rigidly secured thereto and wheel may be operatively mounted on said yofset from a plane eq-uidistant from the 3o axle ina plurality of positions 'to vary the f faces thereof, of Wheel supporting means width of the tread of the vehicle: comprising an axle, meansoperative to 5 3. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combi- -drive said wheel, and means for operatively nation of a stationarily supported axle, a connecting said driving means and said sleeve lsurrounding said axle and rotatable members in a plurality of different relative 35 with respect thereto, a spoked wheel opeiapositions. `L -c tively carried on said sleeve, means foi; 6. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combidriving said wheel, and means disposed nation vof a stationarily supported axle, a transversely to the spol es of said wheel consleeve rotatable with respect to said axle, a

' necting said driving means and sai/d wheel ring gear rotatable with said sleeve and 40 whereby said wheelfcmay be operatively having a plurality of outwardly extending. mounted on said sleeve in a plurality of po; brackets, means for driving said ring gear, sitions to varyl the width of the tread of a wheel removably mounted on said sleeve said vehicle. y and having a plurality of members so posi- 4. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combi-j tioned that ftheir longitudinal axes form 45 nation of a wheel, non-rotatable wheel sup-e chords with respect to said Wheel and offporting means, wheel driving means having set from aplane equidistant from the faces i 'a plurality of brackets, apluralit of mem-` of said wheel, and means for operatively bers secured to said wheel dispose in chord;l removably connecting said brackets and like relation thereto and oifset from a plane said members. `equidistant fromv the faces thereof, and In witness whereof I have hereunto set means whereby said brackets and said memmyhand this 19th dayA of J une, A. D. 1919.

' bers may be operatively connected. I y

5.\In a self-propelled vehicle, the combi-rv CHARLES J ALLEN' nation of a wheel having a plurality of yVVitnessz members respectively disposed normal to a CHARLES C.' EMIGH. 

